Search

This study aimed to investigate the genomic and epidemiological features of a methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus sequence type 1 (MRSA ST1) strain associated with caprine subclinical mastitis. An S. aureus strain was isolated from goat’s milk with subclinical mastitis in Paraiba, Northeastern Brazil, by means of aseptic procedures and tested for antimicrobial susceptibility using the disk-diffusion method. Whole genome sequencing was performed using the Illumina MiSeq platform. After genome assembly and annotation, in silico analyses, including multilocus sequence typing (MLST), antimicrobial resistance and stress-response genes, virulence factors, and plasmids detection were performed. A comparative SNP-based phylogenetic analysis was performed using publicly available MRSA genomes. The strain showed phenotypic resistance to cefoxitin, penicillin, and tetracycline and was identified as sequence type 1 (ST1) and spa type 128 (t128). It harbored the SCCmec type IVa (2B), as well as the lukF-PV and lukS-PV genes. The strain was phylogenetically related to six community-acquired MRSA isolates (CA-MRSA) strains associated with human clinical disease in North America, Europe, and Australia. This is the first report of a CA-MRSA strain associated with milk in the Americas. The structural and epidemiologic features reported in the MRSA ST1 carrying a mecA-SCCmec type IVa suggest highly complex mechanisms of horizontal gene transfer in MRSA. The SNP-based phylogenetic analysis suggests a zooanthroponotic transmission, i.e., a strain of human origin.

Not available.

Background. Self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) is a widely accepted standard of practice for management of insulin-dependentdiabetes, yet is largely unavailable in rural sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). This prospective cohort study is the first known report ofimplementation of SMBG in a rural, low-income country setting.Objectives. To evaluate adherence and change in clinical outcomes with SMBG implementation at two rural hospitals in Neno, Malawi.Methods. Forty-eight patients with type 1 and insulin-dependent type 2 diabetes were trained to use glucometers and logbooks. Participantsmonitored preprandial glucose daily at rotating times and overnight glucose once a week. Healthcare providers were trained to evaluateglucose trends, and adjusted insulin regimens based on results. Adherence was measured as the frequency with which patients checked anddocumented blood glucose at prescribed times, while clinical changes were measured by change in glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) over a6-month period.Results. Participants brought their glucometers and logbooks to the clinic 95 - 100% of the time. Adherence with measuring glucose valuesand recording them in logbooks eight times a week was high (mean (standard deviation) 69.4% (15.7) and 69.0% (16.6), respectively). MeanHbA1c decreased from 9.0% (75 mmol/mol) at enrolment to 7.8% (62 mmol/mol) at 6 months (mean difference 1.2% (95% confidenceinterval (CI) 0.6 - 2.0; p=0.0005). The difference was greater for type 1 diabetes (1.6%; 95% CI 0.6 - 2.7; p=0.0031) than for type 2 diabetes(0.9%; 95% CI 0.1 - 1.9; p=0.0630). There was no documented increase in hypoglycaemic events, and no hospitalisations or deaths occurred.Conclusion. SMBG is feasible for patients with insulin-dependent diabetes in a rural SSA population, and may be associated with improvedHbA1c levels. Despite common misconceptions, all patients, regardless of education level, can benefit from SMBG. Further research onlong-term retention of SMBG activities and the benefits of increasing frequency of monitoring is warranted.

Salmonella Isangi is an infrequent serovar that has recently been reported in several countries due to nosocomial infections. A considerable number of reports indicate Salmonella Isangi multidrug resistance, especially to cephalosporins, which could potentially pose a risk to public health worldwide. Genomic analysis is an excellent tool for monitoring the emergence of microorganisms and related factors. In this context, the aim of this study was to carry out a genomic analysis of Salmonella Isangi isolated from poultry in Brazil, and to compare it with the available genomes from the Pathogen Detection database and Sequence Read Archive. A total of 142 genomes isolated from 11 different countries were investigated. A broad distribution of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) genes was identified in the Salmonella Isangi genomes examined (blaCTX-M-15, blaCTX-M-2, blaDHA-1, blaNDM-1, blaOXA-10, blaOXA-1, blaOXA-48, blaSCO-1, blaSHV-5, blaTEM-131, blaTEM-1B), primarily in South Africa. Resistome analysis revealed predicted resistance to aminoglycoside, sulfonamide, macrolide, tetracycline, trimethoprim, phenicol, chloramphenicol, and quaternary ammonium. Additionally, PMQR (plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance) genes qnr19, qnrB1, and qnrS1 were identified, along with point mutations in the genes gyrAD87N, gyrAS83F, and gyrBS464F, which confer resistance to ciprofloxacin and nalidixic acid. With regard to plasmids, we identified 17 different incompatibility groups, including IncC, Col(pHAD28), IncHI2, IncHI2A, IncM2, ColpVC, Col(Ye4449), Col156, IncR, IncI1(Alpha), IncFIB (pTU3), Col(B5512), IncQ1, IncL, IncN, IncFIB(pHCM2), and IncFIB (pN55391). Phylogenetic analysis revealed five clusters grouped by sequence type and antimicrobial gene distribution. The study highlights the need for monitoring rare serovars that may become emergent due to multidrug resistance.

Ferromagnetism is an iconic example of a first-order phase transition taking place in spatially extended systems and is characterized by hysteresis and the formation of domain walls. We demonstrate that an extended atomic superfluid in the presence of a coherent coupling between two internal states exhibits a quantum phase transition from a paramagnetic to a ferromagnetic state. The nature of the transition is experimentally assessed by looking at the phase diagram as a function of the control parameters, at hysteresis phenomena, and at the magnetic susceptibility and the magnetization fluctuations around the critical point. We show that the observed features are in good agreement with mean-field calculations. Additionally, we develop experimental protocols to deterministically generate domain walls that separate spatial regions of opposite magnetization in the ferromagnetic state. Thanks to the enhanced coherence properties of our atomic superfluid system compared to standard condensed matter systems, our results open the way toward the study of different aspects of the relaxation dynamics in isolated coherent many-body quantum systems.

Ultraviolet spectra were taken of 25 detached eclipsing binaries (DEBs) with spectral types O, B, and early A with the International Ultraviolet Explorer satellite in the 1150–1900 Å region. The spectra were compared with BOSZ model atmospheres. The composite spectra of the DEBs were modeled by a combination of models representing the hot and cool components, and the temperatures of the hottest components of the systems were determined. From these temperatures a direct mass–temperature relation was obtained for stars close to the main sequence with solar metallicity for B and early A stars: log M/M _⊙ = −5.90 ± 0.27 + (1.56 ± 0.07) × log T . This relation allows a mass to be inferred for comparable stars from an ultraviolet spectrum. The five chemically peculiar Am stars in the sample have larger radii than normal A stars of the same mass.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the sensory acceptability limit of refrigerated fish through a multivariate approach, involving classic physicochemical and bacteriological indicators and considering different consumer profiles. The results of the survival analysis demonstrated that, in general, consumers still considered the fish to be suitable for purchase (4.128 days of storage), despite being microbiologically unsuitable for consumption. However, the subsequent division of consumers into clusters indicated that women and individuals with high income and education levels tend to reject fish with few days of storage (3.650 days), mainly due to discoloration, despite still being microbiologically suitable for consumption. Thus, these segments present a safer behavior regarding the purchase of fresh fish. The influence of different frequencies of fish consumption and age of consumers on the assessment of fish freshness was not clarified. The responsibility for ensuring safe and healthy products at the point of sale must lie with the producers and distributors. However, improving consumers’ ability to make good choices when buying fresh fish would bring social and economic benefits related to public health and to the seafood industry, because it would enable them to make relevant claims and demand their rights.